Riot Act
Church-Key Brewing Company

Very dark brown beer topped with chocolatey foam. The head was poured a bit thin, but the fine bubbles stuck around for a while and produced a bit of lace. Aromas of milk chocolate, roasted malts, caramel, and cherries. Relatively low bitterness compared to the malt, but still balanced. Notes of cocoa or bitter chocolate and sour cherries kept things interesting. Medium/full body with a creamy mouthfeel due in part to fairly low carbonation. A bit astringent with no hint of alcohol. Pretty good overall, but a little too phenolic and dry to be an all night sipper.

Opaque black with small head. Half pint at Volo. Malt and coffee and bittersweet chocolate aroma, but also boozy. Lace in glass. Roasty with generous coffee. So much so that acidic coffee, being the biggest stomach irritant in the world, had its effect. Medium bodied, rolling carbonation. satisfying but more like a coffee porter than a thick RIS

Enjoyed a pint in the posh, upscale ambiance of Michelle's BeachHouse in the lovely Beaches area of Toronto. Sampled off tap, and the overturned gun tap handle, with "Riot Act" printed across it in bold, white print. Not sure I quite understanding the 'artistic integrity' with the presentation on this one? Poured with a substancial and persistent mucky, soil brown coloured head, the beer's body was a deep, oil like black. Aroma rather soft at first, would grow as it warmed. Well suited to the flavour. Carbonation at a decent level. Certainly within the RIS style, but one that seemed to focus on a thicker mouthfeel and easier drinkability - nothing overthetop I mean to say. A very bready mouthfeel. Does not show any indication of the 9%, except maybe slightly in the finish, which seems to round out the flavour nicely anyhow. Taste is on the mark - dark, tary chocolat notes. A nice balance. Dominated really by the tar-like chocolat. Church-Key is a brewery which hadn't impressed me, but with their latest offerings seemed to have turned a corner. While I'd hesitate to call this a great redention of this classic, oh so tasty style, it was certianly a good one and i enjoyed it! Certainly a forerunner for one of the best Ontarion stouts anyhow. Let's hope we continue to see the same progress from this brewery.